NEW YORK — It began as a routine trip this morning for hundreds of New Jersey commuters taking the ferry from Highlands to New York’s financial district.

Some were asleep as the high-speed vessel, making its second trip of the day, passed the Statue of Liberty. Others impatiently crowded on stairways and near exits, waiting to surge forward as soon as the SeaStreak Wall Street docked.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang and people went flying.

Video: Passengers give firsthand accounts of ferry accidentA Seastreak Wall Street ferry crashed into a mooring and injured 57 passengers at Pier 11 near Wall Street in Manhattan shortly before 8:45 a.m. Two of the less seriously injured passengers give their firsthand accounts of the incident. Video by John Munson/The Star-Ledger

Dozens of people were injured — two critically — as the ferry packed with 326 passengers crashed into a pier in lower Manhattan, then slammed into a concrete slip.

No immediate cause for the accident was determined, although the 10-year-old vessel, which had been involved in several other dockside collisions in the past, was recently refitted with new engines and a modified propulsion system.

All five crew members passed alcohol tests after the crash and the weather was not believed to be a factor, Coast Guard Petty Officer Erik Swanson said.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating, arrived on the scene this afternoon and planned to interview crew members Thursday.

"We’re here to find out what happened so it will not happen again" said NTSB board member Robert Sumwalt, who would not speculate on a cause or whether the modified propulsion system had any role in the accident.

The ferry does not have a "black box" similar to those found on planes, but its sophisticated electronics could yield useful information, Sumwalt said at a dockside press conference.

SeaStreak’s chairman, James Barker, said the company’s priority was to assist the NTSB in its investigation.

"We are shocked and saddened," Barker said. "It’s been a long day and a terrible day."

Officials identified the captain as Jason Reimer of Red Bank, an experienced seaman. Barker called him "a great guy and a fine captain" who has been with SeaStreak for about 10 years.

The mishap brought back memories of a 2003 crash of the Staten Island Ferry into a pier on Staten Island, killing 11 people, after the captain passed out at the controls. And in 2010, that same ferry hit the same pier after experiencing mechanical problems. Three people were badly hurt.

Passengers today said the 45-minute trip from New Jersey was uneventful and there was no indication anything might be wrong until the boat slammed into the pier.

"It all happened very quick," said Brett Cebulash, 50, of Monmouth Beach, who sustained minor injuries to his right leg.

Steve Mann, 39, who lives in Rumson, said he was half asleep when the boat hit.

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"I heard a really loud crash and next thing you know, I was 10 feet away from my chair and lying on a bunch of other chairs," he said.

The ferry just came to an abrupt stop. "Basically it was sixty to zero," Mann said.

Roy Marceau, another passenger from Rumson, said there was no warning.

"A lot of people flew four, five, six feet. People who were standing outside crashed into the glass doors in the back, which shattered them," he said. "A lot of people were cut, banged up."

Matt Dowd, 44, also of Rumson, said he fell forward and down a stairwell, shattering a glass window, but was not hurt. "It was like a car accident. You just hear a bang and you’re suddenly moving," he said.

Highlands resident Anthony Bianco was at the bottom of a staircase when the boat crashed. He heard a "thunderous" sound and everyone around him was thrown to the ground. Most were fine, he said, but one man lay at the base of the stairs, covered in blood from a gaping head wound.

"Gash actually doesn’t do it justice," Bianco said, adding that you could see a part of the man’s skull.

Bianco suspected injuries could have been avoided had more people been seated, but said most riders stand before the boat stops, hoping to avoid the gridlock of the crowd.

New York City’s transportation commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan, estimated the ferry was coming in at 10 to 12 knots, or about 10 mph, when it slammed into Pier 11 at 8:43 a.m. The front of the aluminum catamaran hull was ripped open, its skin ripped back like shredded aluminum foil, but the boat was never in any danger of sinking.

NTSB begins investigation of collision that injured 56The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) arrives in New York to begin investigation of an incident in which a Ferry Boat from Highlands, NJ, crashed into pier 11 in New York this morning. Board Member Rober L Sumwalt speaks to the press about the groups investigative efforts. (Video by Frances Micklow / The Star-Ledger)

According to the NTSB, there were 326 passengers and five crew members on board. Hospitals reported nearly 60 people injured.

The scene dockside as the ferry was finally secured was chaotic. Rescue workers tagged passengers to classify the seriousness of their injuries, some on gurneys and backboards.

Some were limping while others tried to walked but had to be helped onto stretchers. Others were helped into wheelchairs and covered in blankets. Two were taken to local hospitals with head injuries and were in critical condition, police said.

SeaStreak, which runs four high-speed ferries that bring commuters from Monmouth County to Wall Street and Midtown Manhattan, did not respond to specific questions about the accident.

"The vessel’s crew immediately initiated emergency response procedures and authorities responded quickly due to the location," spokesman Tom Wayne said in a statement. "SeaStreak’s incident response team is on scene. Company management is working closely with emergency responders, including the New York Fire and Police departments to treat the injured and to respond to the situation."

Seastreak President speaks about NYC Ferry CrashSeastreak President Jim Barker speaks about the Ferry Boat crash this morning in New York City. A ferry traveling from Highlands, NJ, crashed into pier 11 in New York injuring 56 people. (Video by Frances Micklow / The Star-Ledger)

Last summer, the 130-foot long ferry underwent a major refit for a new propulsion system, which switched out four main engines driving water jet drives meant for high speed operation. In an effort that sacrificed some speed for greater fuel efficiency, two engines were installed with a more conventional drive system using propellers and rudders.

The modifications, which also took 15 tons of weight out of the vessel, included gutting the interior and repainting the boat.

The SeaStreak Wall Street has been involved in a number of minor incidents since 2006, according to Coast Guard records. In January 2010, it hit a cluster of fender piles at a dock, punching a hole through the skin of the ship above the waterline on the port side. There were no injuries reported.

Coast Guard reports show that in 2009, the same ferry struck a dock in New York, caused by what was described as a delayed helm control. The vessel again suffered a tear to the starboard bow above the waterline. No one was hurt. That same year, the boat lost its main electrical power, briefly shutting down the engines, and returned to New Jersey. And in 2007, a crack just above the waterline caused water to collect in the bilge.

In September 2001, another of the company’s vessels, the SeaStreak New York, was damaged by fire after a loose oil hose came in contact with a hot engine exhaust manifold. The boat was en route from Highlands to New York with 198 passengers on board when the fire broke out.

While there was initial confusion among the crew about the need to obtain the captain’s permission before activating the fire suppression system, the blaze was quickly extinguished and the ferry proceeded to a nearby Coast Guard station on its port engines to disembark passengers, according to the NTSB, which investigated the accident. There were no passenger injuries but damages were estimated at $81,000.

The vessel had been in service less than six months.

The NTSB ultimately blamed the incident on an absence of guidelines from the manufacturer on the proper installation of the oil hose and a lack of inspection and maintenance procedures by the operators.